Dr Julia Rucklidge, of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, said processed foods are causing an ‘epidemic’ of mental illness.

She believes the shift from eating foods made from whole ingredients to junk food and takeaways has caused rates of mental illness, and drugs like anti-depressants to spiral, the New Zealand Herald reports.

‘Our diet has changed so rapidly over 50 years that it's hard not to believe that it's having some impact on our mental health,’ she said.

Eating processed foods might not only be bad for our waistlines but could cause mental illness too, claims Dr Julia Rucklidge, of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand

‘My work shows that, because we show an impact of using vitamins and minerals on mental health, it simply proves the point that the diet these people are eating is simply not adequately meeting their nutritional needs.’

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In an interview with the New Zealand Listener last year, she said her team is studying whether multivitamin formulas, sold under the brand names NutraTek and Truehope, can help with mental health disorders.